The COLLTS resource is designed for use in Kindergarten and Prekindergarten.

Through the use of interactive reading with outstanding children’s literature, this resource promotes the development of:

• foundational and pre-reading skills
• oral language proficiency
• background and conceptual knowledge

Yes! COLLTS lessons are designed to easily fit into an ongoing early childhood program. Each teacher-directed component of a COLLTS lesson is 15 minutes long. Ten-minute center activities complement and extend the teacher-directed lessons.

Yes! COLLTS includes evidence-based strategies to support all English learners and Dual language learners as they acquire English, such as the use of visuals, scaffolding of questions and answers, and supporting multi-model vocabulary instruction.

COLLTS can easily be integrated into a variety of program models and existing curriculum. The interactive book reading can be used for language and literacy time or the practices of COLLTS can be incorporated into existing routines and programs.

These are included to introduce and model for students early foundations of writing. Students may participate in writing by attempting their own written language, drawing pictures, and/or dictating their ideas orally to a teacher who will transcribe student responses. The majority of the space in the writing handouts is for students to sketch and illustrate their responses.

The books were purposefully selected for their content alignment with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework.

COLLTS can be implemented in Kindergarten, Head Start centers, daycares, Transitional Kindergarten, library storytime programs, family childcare, homeschool settings – anywhere serving Kindergarten and preschool students! The teacher guides have been field-tested and written with approachable, realistic prompts and support for educators, librarians, volunteers and caregivers to use confidently.

No! The Center for English Learners at the American Institutes for Research designed the COLLTS early childhood instructional resource to meet the needs of English learners and Dual language learners in any Kindergarten and Prekindergarten setting. All children can benefit from COLLTS.

The Read Aloud Bundle for English includes:

• Lola Loves Stories
• The Snowy Day
• The Paper Crane
• From Seed to Pumpkin
• Fernando’s Gift (bilingual edition)
• Over in a River: Flowing Out to the Sea

You may customize number of copies here.

The Read Aloud Bundle for Spanish includes:

• A Lola le encantan los cuentos
• Un día de nieve
• El regalo de Fernando (bilingual edition)
• El sol del verano
• Los pájaros de la cosecha
• Pescar es divertido

You may customize number of copies here.

The Center for English Learners at AIR purposefully selected these mentor texts for their literacy and informational quality, text type, rich language appeal to young children, multicultural themes and content, and the extent to which their content aligns with state college and career readiness standards for kindergarten.

No—Book bundles are sold separately because Kindergarten and Preschool settings vary widely in how many staff different sites want to have the mentor text to share with students. You may customize number of copies here.

The COLLTS Bebop resource consists of six units, each with five lessons centered around a children’s book. Books must be purchased separately.

Purchase of this kit includes:

• six units in English, with five lessons each
• teaching guides
• writing activities
• picture cards with target vocabulary
• observational protocol for coaches
• bilingual family literacy take-home handouts

This kit does not include English read aloud books, around which lessons are centered. Books must be purchased separately. This kit also does not include any materials in Spanish—those may be purchased separately or together with the English ($100 savings).

Purchase of this kit includes:

• six units in Spanish, with five lessons each
• teaching guides
• writing activities
• picture cards with target vocabulary
• observational protocol for coaches
• bilingual family literacy take-home handouts

This kit does not include Spanish read aloud books, around which lessons are centered. Books must be purchased separately. This kit also does not include any materials in English—those may be purchased separately or together with the Spanish ($100 savings).

This instructional resource is designed to teach adults the best, evidence-based strategies for supporting early literacy development. After educators, librarians, and caregivers practice and hone their skills with these six units and six read alouds, it is the aim of the Center for English Learners at AIR that adults will be able to continue applying these strategies and way of engaging Kindergarteners and preschoolers with any read aloud. COLLTS empowers teachers to be more strategic and effective in developing children’s language and literacy skills during read-alouds and center time.

Each kit = 1 per classroom

In 2019, COLLTS was used in treatment classrooms to support Dual language learners’ (DLLs’) oral language development. The intervention consisted of teacher professional development; curricular materials that guided teachers in principles of effective instruction; interactive book reading, in which children are exposed to language-rich settings; and targeted skills instruction to build foundational literacy skills.

Key Findings:

• Children who participated in the intervention showed significantly larger gains than children in control classrooms in three domains of oral language. These domains have consistently been shown to be developmentally sensitive and positively related to the bilingual reading achievement of DLLs.
• The study demonstrates that an intervention can be easily integrated into preschool programming and result in significant improvements in children’s oral language, compared with children in control classrooms whose teachers did not receive COLLTS instructional resource and training.

Journal Article: Developing Oral Language in Young Dual Language Learners, Cultivating Oral Language and Literacy Talent in Students (COLLTS)

Learn more about the pilot and study findings here.

Watch the Webinar about Research findings here.

See the webinars at the links below:

• Best Practices for English Learners in PreK
• Writing for Young Learners

To learn more about the research supporting COLLTS, the authors, and professional developments and trainings, visit our COLLTS page.

Find an easy-to-share PDF about COLLTS here.

To learn more or receive a sample, fill out our COLLTS Request Form or contact us at COLLTS@leeandlow.com

To speak with the authors of the COLLTS instructional resource or schedule professional development for your district and school (offered through the American Institutes for Research), please contact Shannon Keuter at skeuter@air.org.

Note: Units or Titles in the COLLTS resource can not be be sold individually. Web discounts do not apply to Bebop Books products. RETURNS: All AIR Bebop Kit sales are made on a NON-RETURNABLE basis.

Yes! On the product pages, you can preview an English unit and a Spanish unit. Please contact COLLTS@leeandlow.com to see a full unit in English and full unit in Spanish.

Yes! Please contact COLLTS@leeandlow.com to order one kit and book bundle to pilot.

Yes! AIR has a team of experts with decades of experience training educators to work with DLLs. Please email AIR to learn more about the technical assistance options available.

Check out COLLTS in our store or fill out our COLLTS Request Form and we’ll be in touch!